


take my hand (i'll take you so far)

by seaunicorn



Category: The Prom - Sklar/Beguelin/Martin
Genre: Carnival, Established Relationship, F/F, Ferris Wheels, Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-05
Updated: 2019-07-05
Packaged: 2020-06-15 19:03:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19624969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seaunicorn/pseuds/seaunicorn
Summary: Excited about no longer having to hide their relationship, Emma and Alyssa go on a date to the summer county fair.





	take my hand (i'll take you so far)

**Author's Note:**

> This is pure tooth rotting fluff that I wrote while trying to distract myself from fireworks. Thanks to the discord for indulging my Emma & Alyssa at the fair headcanons. Enjoy.
> 
> fic title is from the song Who We Are by Allison Weiss

The scalding sun beat down on Emma’s back in the humid summer air in Edgewater, but for the first time, she didn’t care about the impending sunburn or the sweat practically dripping from her forehead. She was too thrilled about her girlfriend Alyssa, by her side, holding her hand, out and about in public.

It had been one month since prom, since Alyssa came out to her mother and, well, everyone else, and while things were still difficult at times, it was all worth it on days like today when they could go to the county fair and walk around hand in hand. People still sent them dirty looks and raised eyebrows, but there was no more fear that they would be discovered. They were free to just be together.

When they stepped into the fairgrounds, Alyssa had taken Emma’s hand immediately, and Emma’s heart began to race in giddy excitement, like it always did when Alyssa held her hand in public, and she hadn’t let go since they arrived.

Emma had already consumed far too much deep fried food to be considered remotely healthy, including fried pickles, fried Snickers, and her personal favorite, fried cookie dough. She was actively ignoring the stomach ache that was creeping up on her in order to enjoy the rest of her day out with Alyssa. They walked around, fingers intertwined as their hands swung back and forth between them. Their palms were sweating from the heat, but neither one wanted to let go.

They wandered into the area filled with rides and games, each booth blaring loud music to draw the attention of any passers-by. “Do you want to go on any rides?” Alyssa asked, shouting over the cacophony of the crowd.

Emma clutched her stomach as she watched the Tilt-A-Whirl spinning so fast just the sight made her nauseous. “Uhh, maybe later,” she muttered. “Why don’t we just look around and see what there is first?”

“Sounds good!” Alyssa leaned in and kissed Emma on the cheek. Emma blushed and became very flustered. No matter how many times Alyssa kissed her in public, she would never get used to the giddy feeling that swelled up in her chest whenever it happened.

“Um-- cool-- let’s-- this way!”

Emma, blushing furiously, tugged Alyssa down a path, passing by various rides and games, scoping out what they wanted to spend their money on.

They passed by the Gravitron, and the Drop Tower, and the Swinging Ship, and each one made Emma’s stomach gurgle uncomfortably. Thankfully, Alyssa didn’t seem to be interested in any of these rides.

They also passed by a handful of games: the ring toss, balloon darts, bottle stand, and star shooter. Nothing seemed to be catching their attention until Emma noticed a large stuffed animal at one of the booths. It was a plush sloth that hung upside-down from the top of the booth. It looked like it had velcro at the ends of its limbs so you could latch it around almost any surface and let it hang upside-down. The sloth was brown and fuzzy and adorable, and it easily caught Emma’s eye.

“Aw, look at that sloth,” she said offhandedly, nudging Alyssa as she pointed it out.

And suddenly, Alyssa had a laser focus on the sloth. The booth itself was the break-a-plate game, and Alyssa halted their stride in front of it and turned to Emma with a determined glint in her eye. “I’m getting you that sloth.”

“Oh, I mean you don’t have to--”

Before Emma could continue to protest, Alyssa had already extracted her hand from Emma’s grasp and given the carnival worker a five dollar bill; he handed her three softballs in return.

Alyssa gripped one softball in her hand and tossed it into the air, catching it again. She took a deep, meditative breath, studying the rows of plates in front of her, and after a moment’s pause, she chucked the ball forward.

It hit the back wall, equidistant between two plates.

“Damn,” Alyssa muttered.

It was too late for Emma to change Alyssa’s mind, seeing as she had already paid the man, so instead she leaned against the barrier, folded her arms over her chest, and watched as Alyssa’s eyebrows scrunched together adorably in concentration as she picked up the next ball.

“Hey,” Emma called, grabbing Alyssa’s attention before she threw the ball. “You’re cute.”

Alyssa glared at her playfully. “Shut up,” she said, turning her attention back to the wall of plates. “Don’t distract me.”

When Alyssa threw this ball, it was a bit closer to its target than the previous one, but still a few inches away. Alyssa let out a long sigh that devolved into a groan, but shook it off and grabbed the final ball, preparing herself for her last throw.

She threw the ball and it bounced off the edge of one plate. The plate didn’t even budge, let alone crack or shatter.

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me,” Alyssa groaned.

Emma giggled and reached out for her girlfriend’s hand. “It’s okay,” she said, kissing Alyssa on the cheek. “Thanks for trying though.”

“No, it’s not okay!” Alyssa pulled her hand out of Emma’s grasp again and shoved it into her pocket, fishing out another five dollar bill.

“Babe, you really don’t--”

“I’m getting you that goddamn sloth!” Alyssa screeched, shoving more money into the worker’s hands.

Emma watched in horror as she realized she had accidentally awoken a competitive monster that had been dormant within Alyssa until today.

This round was pretty similar to the first. Alyssa missed two throws and hit one, but the one that hit a plate didn’t have enough force to actually break the plate.

“FUCK!” Alyssa shouted.

A mother walking by with her baby glared at Alyssa as she rushed past.

This was Emma’s chance. She just had to distract Alyssa before she could get sucked into another round of the game. She looked around and spotted a few vendors nearby selling desserts. “Babe, do you want a caramel apple? There’s a booth selling them and it’s  _ way _ over there!”

But when she turned to her girlfriend, Alyssa already had three more balls in front of her. Alyssa shushed her and stared down the game in front of her, a look of primal determination in her eye that Emma had never seen before. As cute as it was, Alyssa was spending  _ a lot _ of money on this game and they could probably get the same stuffed animal for way less than she had already spent.

This time around, every single ball bounced off a plate, but not a single one cracked or shattered. Alyssa was growing increasingly frustrated with each throw, and by the time the last one failed, she almost screamed, “This is rigged!”

Emma couldn’t help it, she laughed. “Of course it’s rigged, it’s a carnival.”

Alyssa glared at her.

“Baby, I think you have a serious problem.” Emma tried to take Alyssa’s hand again, and was glad when she actually let her. “Come on, let’s go eat more disgusting food until we want to throw up.”

For a moment, Alyssa looked like she was about to agree and walk away with Emma, leaving this stupid game behind them, but then Alyssa looked at the carnival worker again.

“Emma,” she said, “I am not going to let this game beat me.”

“That’s not--”

“It’s a matter of pride at this point.”

“I thought you wanted to win me a stuffed animal.”

“Screw the stuffed animal!” Alyssa exclaimed. “I am going to beat this goddamn game into the ground and show it who’s boss.”

Emma’s eyes grew wide. Alyssa looked practically feral as she threw another five dollar bill at the carnival worker. There was no stopping this. Emma was scared. She eyed the caramel apple booth and started to inch away from Alyssa. “Um, I’m gonna get a snack. Do you want anything?”

“No.”

Emma had no idea how to snap her girlfriend out of this, so as Alyssa gathered her next set of softballs, she took the opportunity to escape, at least momentarily.

Five minutes later, Emma returned with a caramel apple in tow and Alyssa was still playing this godforsaken game.

“Alyssa… how much money have you spent?” Emma asked.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Baby, I’m starting to get worried.”

“Shush I have one more throw!”

Emma sighed and took another bite of her caramel apple as she watched Alyssa bounce on her toes, swing her arm a few times, and then chuck the ball forward with a force she wasn’t sure was possible.

And then, Emma heard the most glorious sound she had heard all day: the crack of a ceramic plate shattering upon impact.

She gasped, “Holy shit!”

“Oh my god,” Alyssa said. “I did it!”

“You did it!”

The exhausted carnival worker had a blank face as he said in monotone, “Congratulations. What prize do you want?”

“I’ll take the sloth please!” Alyssa said, pointing at the sloth that had initially caught Emma’s eye. The employee removed it from its perch at the top of the booth and handed it off to Alyssa. Alyssa, face alight with a stunning grin, turned to Emma and presented her with the sloth.

“For you, my love,” she said, getting down on one knee as she held up the stuffed animal.

Emma laughed. Her girlfriend was the cutest person on the planet, and she had no idea how she got this lucky. “Get up, you dork!” She graciously accepted the sloth that was larger than her own head. It was actually pretty soft and cuddly, she thought as she pressed her face against it.

“Do you like it?” Alyssa asked.

“I love it,” Emma said. She grabbed Alyssa by the strap of her overalls and pulled her in for a lingering kiss.

Alyssa sighed against her lips. “I love kissing you.”

“I love  _ you, _ ” Emma replied with a laugh. She wrapped the velcro sloth legs around the strap of her backpack so she wouldn’t have to carry it, then grabbed Alyssa’s hand and dragged her away from the break-a-plate booth as they continued to walk along the rows of the fair. “But are you okay? I was a little worried about you there.”

“I don’t know what came over me,” Alyssa muttered, shocked, staring into the distance. “I think I blacked out for like ten minutes.”

“Okay, so you are not allowed to play carnival games anymore,” Emma said with a laugh. Alyssa was about to protest, so Emma just kissed her again. “I do love my sloth though, so thank you. I think I’m gonna name him Steven.”

“Steven the sloth,” Alyssa repeated. “I like it.”

“Do you want a bite?” Emma asked, offering her caramel apple to Alyssa, who leaned over and happily bit off a large chunk.

“Mm,” Alyssa mumbled as she chewed. “Delicious.”

“What do you want to do now?” Alyssa opened her mouth, but Emma cut her off before she could say anything. “And  _ no more games _ !”

Alyssa pouted, but resigned. She glanced around at the fairgrounds until her eyes spotted a structure that towered over most of the other rides and booths. “Ferris wheel?” she suggested.

Emma’s stomach lurched at the suggestion, not from nausea, but she found herself agreeing. “Let’s do it.”

They purchased their tickets and got in line for the massive, rickety ferris wheel that stood at the back of the fairgrounds. They munched at the caramel apple as they waited, passing it back and forth until it was finished and tossed it into the garbage can. Emma’s heartbeat thrummed nervously as they got closer to the front of the line and handed over their tickets, and by the time they were seated together in a car, she was practically shaking with nerves.

“Em, you okay?” Alyssa asked.

The ride careened forward and carried them up into the air.

“I’m good,” Emma squeaked, her voice cracking. “I’m just, uhh, not the biggest fan of ferris wheels.”

“Emma, are you scared?” Alyssa asked, a teasing smile growing on her lips.

“No!” Emma protested a little too quickly. “No I’m-- I’m fine.”

“I didn’t know you were scared of heights.” Alyssa’s smile went from teasing to sympathetic when she noticed the genuine look of fear in Emma’s eyes.

“Not heights, just… ferris wheels.” Emma glanced out at the fairgrounds, and it really was a beautiful sight to see all the rides and crowds below as the bright summer sun hovered over them in the distance, casting a golden glow on the world, but the car swung again and Emma gripped her seat even tighter.

“Aw, babe, we didn’t have to ride this,” Alyssa muttered. “Come here.” Alyssa tried to scoot a little closer to Emma and put her arm over her shoulder, but the car creaked as it swung back and forth at the movement.

“Just stay still!” Emma shrieked, shutting her eyes tight.

“Hey,” Alyssa said, her voice gentle on Emma’s ears as the din of the carnival grew more distant the higher they rose into the air. Emma felt Alyssa’s soft fingers on her hand, intertwining their fingers. “You’re fine. I’ve got you.”

Emma sighed. “Logically I know it’s fine but since when has logic stopped me from freaking out?”

Alyssa removed her hand from Emma’s and placed it on her knee. She scooted a little closer and the car rocked again, causing Emma to squeal. “What if I distracted you?” Alyssa asked, tilting her head to the side with a flirtatious confidence that seemed to go over Emma’s head.

“I think if we just stay perfectly still I’ll be f-- mmf!”

Alyssa cut Emma off as she surged forward and captured her lips in a heated kiss. She tasted of apples and caramel, and their lips were still a little sticky from their sweet treat earlier, but it was perfect. The cart rocked back and forth, and Emma didn’t seem to mind as Alyssa’s tongue swiped at her bottom lip. Alyssa’s hand trailed up Emma’s thigh, fingertips scratching just barely underneath the bottom of her shorts. Emma gasped and Alyssa took the opportunity to slip her tongue inside her mouth.

Emma felt like the world was spinning, but she wasn’t sure if that was the cart swinging or if it was just Alyssa’s kisses making her dizzy. Her hand grabbed the back of Alyssa’s head, tangling her fingers into the dark curls as Alyssa sucked on her bottom lip. Emma couldn’t help the whimper that fell from the back of her throat.

It was all too soon that Alyssa’s mouth left hers, and Emma found herself chasing Alyssa’s lips for more, but her girlfriend unfortunately did not grant another kiss. When Emma’s eyes finally fluttered open, Alyssa had an amused smirk on her face as she nodded forward. “Ride’s over,” Alyssa laughed.

Emma turned her head to find the ride attendant holding open the latch, staring at them expectantly. Emma’s cheeks flushed, and she quickly climbed off the ride and stormed away, Alyssa following close on her trail.

When Alyssa finally caught up to her girlfriend, she grabbed Emma’s hand, slowing her down, and pulled her into the shade of one of the game booths. “Come on babe, that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

Emma was still blushing and embarrassed, but she shrugged and admitted, “It was perfect.”

Alyssa leaned in to kiss her again, and Emma reacted quickly, grabbing Steven the Sloth from where he sat at her side, and pressed his face into Alyssa’s so her girlfriend was kissing him instead.

“Hey!” Alyssa pushed the sloth out of the way and Emma backed away, giggling maniacally. Alyssa lunged forward, wrapping her arms around Emma’s waist, lifted her up and spun her around before setting her back down on the ground, not letting go. “You owe me a kiss.”

“As you wish,” Emma muttered, wrapping her arms around Alyssa’s neck and kissing her.

Every new kiss was just as special as the one before it, and Emma knew she would never grow tired of kissing Alyssa. The fair around them melted away, laughter and screams and music fading to white noise in the background, because all Emma was aware of was the love of her life in her arms, smiling against her lips.


End file.
